The Gujarat government has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Johannesburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) to give a boost to the bilateral trade, an industry body official said.
JCCI has signed MoUs with many industry bodies such as the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) at city level, but this is the first time they have signed an MoU with a state in India, JCCI Chairman Keith Brebnor told PTI.
"The MoU reaffirms a spirit of cooperation and how we will expand trade between ourselves," he added.
A high-level delegation from Gujarat had visited several South African cities to attract investments in the state.
Additional Principal Secretary to the Gujarat Chief Minister Girish Chandra Murmu said South Africa's expertise in the mining, engineering and chemicals sectors would find favour in Gujarat.
High Commissioner of India in South Africa Virendra Gupta highlighted Gujarat's skill in diamond cutting and cooperative dairy project of Amul as areas from which South Africa could benefit.
"Very good partnerships of mutual benefit could be established with Gujarat," Gupta said.
The delegation will also be visiting Tanzania and Kenya, where there are sizeable Gujaratis in the business sector, to invite them to the 6th edition of the bi-ennial Vibrant Gujarat Summit in January 2013.
"Johannesburg is in Gauteng province which is really the engine of South Africa and we have had very close ties with India, especially with Bangalore, since relations first opened up after the democratic elections in 1994," Brebnor said.
"Gujarat is fairly new to South Africa, and we are forming early partnerships because we now know how in the case of Bangalore they promised to become the world's biggest software developers and they did." he added.
